JWT’s AnxietyIndex is designed as a place to discuss how brands and consumers are responding to the global recession. With daily content updates, AnxietyIndex.com includes contributions from around JWT’s network, offering a truly global perspective.

In Kuwait you hear people complain about huge unexpected phone bills almost every day, saying things like “They’re ripping us off,” “I hardly used my phone,” and “They are all crooks.” Zain, the leading telecom company here, was being blamed and attacked viciously on the Internet for these reasons. The problem was that customers could not easily access a detailed summary of their usage.

By understanding the problem, Zain had half the solution. The company enabled its customers to get a detailed bill online with ease. JWT then built on the insight that it’s a nightmare to get surprised by unanticipated charges, creating a TV spot that revolves around a man checking out of a hotel who’s being charged for everything you can think of, from using the room’s towels to riding the elevator.

The commercial has helped to calm the nerves of Zain users and also brought to light how transparent the company’s policies are.

The last parliament in Kuwait was one of the most controversial in the country’s history. Peaceful demonstrations against both the parliament and the government led the Amir of Kuwait to dissolve both and order new elections within the next 12 weeks. And for 12 weeks all of Kuwait was talking about whom they would vote for. Most were pessimistic after the last parliament gave them false hope. Kuwaitis had lost faith in the future of Kuwait.

With the help of JWT Kuwait, market-leading telecom provider Zain launched a flash mob in the country’s largest mall the day after the vote, with the dancers singing national songs. The feedback was overwhelming—in about a month, the video racked up 2.3 million views in a country with a population just under 3 million—not only because it was the first flash mob here but because it reminded people of what Kuwait means to everyone.